Abstract
The concept of freedom is often thought of as antithetical to sociology. The discipline is more prone to detect and unveil forms of unfreedom, as Zygmunt Bauman (1988) has pointed out. The question remains if any academic discipline, however, including sociology can do away with the concept of freedom al together! In matters of science, the problem of determinism vs. chance and spontaneity is essential. Hence, freedom, in one sense or the other, is necessarily at bottom also of sociological discourse. This text is an attempt to map the predominant forms of freedom found in sociological discourses. While starting out with the classic liberal concept informing theories of modernity followed by the various critiques directed against liberalism, not the least the most recently occurring (Lyotard, Agamben), the aim here is to spot possible trajectories in our comprehension of freedom, also after the nation-state. Globalizing the social also means that new assemblages are likely to occur, challenging the concept of the social as well as that of freedom.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication date | 2009 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
| Event | American Sociological Association Annual Meeting - San Fransisco, United States Duration: 7 Aug 2009 → 11 Aug 2009 Conference number: 104 |
Conference
| Conference | American Sociological Association Annual Meeting |
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| Number | 104 |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | San Fransisco |
| Period | 07/08/2009 → 11/08/2009 |